A Report from Education Insights at Public Agenda.

Transcription

1 ISSUE NO. 3: IS SUPPORT FOR STANDARDS AND TESTING FADING? A Report from Education Insights at Public Agenda. Funding for this report was provided by: GE Foundation Nellie Mae Education Foundation The Wallace Foundation

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3 This is the third in a series of reports from Reality Check 2006, an ongoing set of tracking surveys on education issues. Reality Check surveys attitudes among public school parents, students, teachers, principals and superintendents on a regular basis. The series also includes periodic surveys of employers and college professors. Jean Johnson, Ana Maria Arumi and Amber Ott prepared this report. More information about the findings in this report, including full question wording and results, can be found at: PUBLICAGENDA.ORG Regular updates and new reports will be available at this location throughout the year.

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5 IS SUPPORT FOR STANDARDS AND TESTING FADING? Introduction by Jean Johnson Necessary, but not sufficient might be one way to sum up attitudes about standards and testing five years into No Child Left Behind and over a dozen necessary. 1 Parents and teachers give local districts high marks for pursuing standards-based reform carefully and reasonably. years into the so-called standards movement in American education. Based on results from Public Agenda s 2006 Reality Check opinion surveys, there is strong belief in the intrinsic value of standards and testing and broad support for key elements such as high school exit exams. But as of now, every group surveyed by Public Agenda parents, students, teachers, principals and superintendents considers other educational issues more urgent. Among parents, How much is enough? But Reality Check 2006 also shows quite convincingly that relatively few parents, teachers, principals or superintendents see more of the same as the best course for the future. In this year s survey, respondents were asked to choose among four hypothetical candidates for the local school board one running on a platform of standards and testing, a second concern about low academic standards in local schools has dropped over the last decade. Among parents, a hypothetical standards and testing candidate backing vouchers, a third backing charter schools and a fourth calling for more money for schools and smaller classes. Among parents, the So far, so good standards and testing candidate ranks a distant Public Agenda has been monitoring ranks a distant second to the second to one Americans views on academic candidate calling for smaller classes standards, standardized testing, No Child Left Behind and other key elements of the standards movement for more than a decade. calling for smaller classes and more money for schools. and more money for schools. Fewer than one in four parents (22%) chooses the standards candidate. Among the educators, support for a Our Reality Check surveys and other research have shown repeatedly that support for raising school board candidate focusing primarily on more standards and testing is in the single digits. standards is broad and heart-felt, and based on the 2006 data, that core of support remains intact. In multiple findings, parents, teachers and students say standards and testing are It s not a backlash to testing This tepid support for more standards and testing is not a rejection of the idea itself, nor is it the 1 Where We Are Now, Public Agenda 2003: online at publicagenda.org/research/research_reports_details.cfm?list=1 1 Education Insights at PUBLIC AGENDA 2006 Page 1

6 long-anticipated and much-feared backlash to testing. Neither parents nor students report significant concern about the number or kinds of tests youngsters currently take. The majority of their community that schools are not getting enough money to do a good job. Among black (49%) and Hispanic parents (52%), the numbers are substantially higher. teachers are troubled and frustrated by testing, but even here, the concern is the amount of testing and how tests are used not Similarly, all groups cite problems related to student behavior, motivation and whether testing can be useful in and of itself. More than 8 in 10 teachers back a high school exit exam Just 15 percent of teachers say No Child Left Behind is cooperation as more urgent than low standards. This focus on discipline and school climate is not covering either basics (62%) or new. Public Agenda s First Things improving local more advanced learning (24%). First report in 1994 outlined the education. Among broad belief that unless schools are Nor is the negative response grounded in broad hostility to No Child Left Behind, although just 15 percent of teachers say the law is improving local education. parents, attention to and knowledge about the law is still sparse. safe, calm, respectful and purposeful, teaching and learning are unlikely to thrive. 2 Most teachers give schools good marks on discipline issues, but 76 percent say Relatively few principals (22%) and superintendents (9%) say meeting the law s requirements is their most pressing problem. Among parents, knowledge about and attention to the law is still sparse. Over half of parents admit that they don t know enough about the law to say whether it is hurting or helping. Among those who are familiar with it, the reviews are split. they could teach more effectively if they didn t have to spend so much time dealing with disruptive students; 85 percent say the school experience of most students suffers at the expense of a few chronic troublemakers. 3 Among parents, 73 percent say that the most pressing problems in local high schools are social problems and kids who misbehave. Just 15 percent say low academic standards and outdated curricula are Other things need attention Instead, the lack of enthusiasm for standards and testing as a top priority for the future comes from two sources. One is the judgment among most parents, students, teachers and school more urgent. Since the standards movement, with its strong emphasis on academics and testing, touches on these concerns only peripherally, it is not surprising that people are beginning to yearn for something that addresses them more directly. administrators that standards and testing are not the be all and end all of school reform. They see other issues as equally pressing. Not surprisingly perhaps, educators say funding is a higher priority, but they are not alone. About four in ten (39%) parents say that it s a very serious problem in 2 First Things First, Public Agenda Teaching Interrupted, Public Agenda Page 2 REALITY CHECK 2006

7 Is Support for Standards and Testing Waning? How high is high enough? The second source of the cool response, especially among parents, is a different sense of what the standard needs to be. This gap between parents views on optimal standards and those of key business, government and educational leaders emerged strongly in an earlier responsive chord with many segments of the community. But as promotion standards toughened, as graduation standards were raised, as parents began to see their own children doing harder work than they did when they were in school, the problem of low standards began to lose its edge. Reality Check 2006 report, Are Parents and Students Ready for More Math and Science? 4 Many in leadership believe that standards in American high schools need to be raised dramatically to insure the country s economic prosperity in a more competitive world. 5 Meanwhile most parents, Where do we go from here? For leaders who are convinced that American schools and students need to strive for much higher levels of learning, these findings suggest a two-pronged agenda. One essential goal for leaders is to get their own message especially white parents, are quite satisfied with the academic portion of their children s education. Majorities of all parents (65%) believe the work their child does in school is harder than what they The strong focus on standards and testing is beginning to strike key segments of the public as a Johnnyout more effectively. If leaders believe that it is imperative to arm the next generation with top-notch skills in math and science, in foreign languages and other areas, they need to move beyond panel themselves studied when they were discussions at business One-Note younger. conferences and get out there. approach. The Committee for Economic It is probably worth remembering that much of the public s initial support for raising standards grew out of anxiety over basics and the fear that too many youngsters were floating through the system without mastering even fundamental reading and math skills. Consequently, the strong calls for higher standards, more testing, more solid Development, for example, has launched a major effort to raise public awareness of the need to increase foreign language and international studies. 6 Since major employers and local entrepreneurs often have a special credibility in their own communities, it could well be time for them to put that credibility to use. graduation and promotion requirements touched a But leadership may also need to broaden its agenda. Based on the results here, the strong focus on standards and testing is beginning to strike key segments of the public as a Johnny- 4 Reality Check 2006, Public Agenda 2006: online at publicagenda.org/specials/realitycheck06/realitycheck06_main. htm 5 Examples include: Business Roundtable press release, Business Roundtable Encourages Focus on Math and Science in Initiative for Teacher Excellence, June 6, Also, the official statement on Math & Science on the website of the Center for Corporate Citizenship of the United States Chamber of Commerce, available on the website of the Business Education Network. 6 Education for Global Leadership, Committee for Economic Development Education Insights at PUBLIC AGENDA 2006 Page 3

8 One-Note approach. Among different groups there is unease about school funding, class size, school climate, student cooperation and motivation, family support and social problems that seep into the schools. Teachers seem especially troubled about the current course, and majorities say they feel left out of discussions on how to improve schools and learning. 7 Some of the teachers doubts and frustrations may be affecting progress. After all, few generals would choose to go into the field with a demoralized, unconvinced fighting force. The Reality Check 2006 results pose a fundamental strategic question for leaders who believe higher standards are essential. Just how long will communities continue to support the movement without hearing some serious discussion of their other pressing issues as well? Interviews with parents were conducted between October 30 - December 18, 2005, interviews with students were conducted between October 30 - December 29, 2005 and interviews with teachers, principals and superintendents were conducted between November 19, March 7, The margin of error for the sample of parents is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points; the margin of error for the sample of students is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points; the margin of error for the sample of teachers is plus or minus 4 percentage points; and the margin of error for principals and superintendents is plus or minus 6 percentage points. It is higher when comparing percentages across subgroups. Selected survey results can be found at publicagenda.org. Methodology The findings in Reality Check 2006: Is Support for Standards and Testing Fading? are based on two focus groups each with parents and teachers and telephone interviews with a national random sample of:! 1,379 parents of children now in public school;! 1,342 public school students in grades 6 through 12;! 721 public school teachers;! 254 school district superintendents and 252 school principals. 7 Seventy-six percent of teachers say they are often made the scapegoats for all the problems facing education ( Stand By Me, Public Agenda 2003.). A large majority (70%) also say they feel left out of the loop when it comes to district decisionmaking ( Just Waiting to be Asked, Public Agenda 2001.). Page 4 REALITY CHECK 2006

9 Is Support for Standards and Testing Fading? FINDING ONE: PARENTS AND STUDENTS SUPPORT STANDARDS AND TESTING The vast majority of parents and students continue to voice strong support for raising academic standards. Most say updating classes to match the skills employers want would improve American high schools. Eight in ten students say that requiring students to meet higher standards for graduation and promotion is a good idea. Most parents (86%) say their own district has been careful and reasonable in its efforts to raise standards and virtually none (1%) believe schools would be better if districts returned to the policies of the past. Most parents support proposals to make high schools more competitive internationally % of parents who say the following proposals will improve high school education in the United States: Updating high school classes to better match the skills employers want Greatly increasing the number and quality of math and science courses students take in the high schools 67% 71% Making sure that our nation s high schools expect as much 71% from students as high schools in Europe and Japan 56% Updating high school 63% classes to better match the skills employers want Students too want schools to prepare them for good jobs in a competitive world % of students who think each of the following proposals will improve high school education: Updating high school classes to better match the skills employers want 71% Making sure that our nation s high schools expect as much from students as high schools in Europe and Japan 63% 60% Greatly increasing the number and quality of math and science courses students take in the high schools 56% 68% Updating high school classes to better match the skills employers want Education Insights at PUBLIC AGENDA 2006 Page 5

10 Most parents support continuing to raise standards When it comes to raising academic standards, do you think your school district should? Based on parents whose public schools are making an effort to raise standards Continue the effort 65% Large majorities of parents say local schools have been careful and reasonable in raising academic standards Overall, would you say that the schools are careful and reasonable in putting in place the higher academic standards, or are they being too careless and unreasonable? Based on parents whose public schools are making an effort to raise standards Continue the effort but make some adjustments 31% Careful and reasonable 86% 84% Stop the effort and go back to the way things used to be 2% Too careless and unreasonable 9% 10% Note: These differences are not statistically significant Most students say requiring them to meet higher standards for promotion and graduation is a good idea % of students who say that requiring students to meet higher standards in order to be promoted or to graduate is a good idea: 8 80% 71% Question wording in 2002 was: The schools should use standardized test scores along with teacher evaluations to decide if students should be promoted or graduate. Page 6 REALITY CHECK 2006

11 Is Support for Standards and Testing Fading? FINDING TWO: STANDARDS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL Despite broad support for standards as a crucial element of public education, Reality Check shows that most parents see other issues as more urgent. The survey presented respondents with four hypothetical candidates for a local school board election one calling for more testing and higher standards, one backing more money for schools and smaller classes, one calling for vouchers, and one a supporter of charter schools. Among parents, the standards and testing candidate comes in a distant second to a supporter of smaller classes and more funding. In fact, fewer than one in four parents chooses the standards and testing candidate out of the four options. Parental anxiety about low academic standards has fallen over the last decade. Concern about a lack of emphasis on basic skills has fallen as well. Fewer than one in four parents would support a school board candidate running mainly on a testing and standards platform Suppose you were voting in a local school board election. Which of the following candidates would you be most likely to support? A candidate who believes: If the public schools finally got more money and smaller classes, they could do a better job 45% More testing and higher standards will ensure kids will master the skills they need 22% School vouchers give parents the power to choose the best school for their children 19% That charter schools revitalize public education, and we need more of them 9% Education Insights at PUBLIC AGENDA 2006 Page 7

12 Parents concern about low academic standards and teaching of basics has fallen since % of parents who say the following are a very serious problem in their child s school: Lack of emphasis on basics 20% 28% Low academic standards 15% 26% First Things First, Public Agenda Page 8 REALITY CHECK 2006

13 Is Support for Standards and Testing Fading? FINDING THREE: NO BACKLASH TO TESTING FROM PARENTS AND STUDENTS Standards advocates have long worried about a backlash to testing among parents and students as districts increase testing and put more tangible consequences into place. Although teachers are quite concerned about current levels of testing (See Finding Five), Reality Check shows very little evidence of a broad backlash from parents and students. Fewer than 1 in 5 parents complain that their child has to take too many tests. Most students say that the number of tests they take is about right (71%) and that most of the questions are fair (79%). Most students endorse the idea of a high school exit exam, and relatively few say they get so nervous about tests that they can t do their best. Many parents still do not know enough about No Child Left Behind to have an opinion about it. Relatively few parents complain that their child has to take too many tests or that tests are harmful Would you say that your child is required to take too many standardized tests, too few, are things about right or don't you know? Too many 12% 17% Please tell me which comes closest to your view? Standardized tests: (1) are necessary and valuable they are a reliable yardstick for measuring student performance, (2) are a necessary evil ultimately, the schools need some kind of standardized assessment or (3) do much more harm than good the schools would be better off if they were completely abandoned. Too few 10% 9% Necessary evil 37% About right 54% 61% Necessary and valuable 48% Don t know 3% Do much more harm than good 12% Education Insights at PUBLIC AGENDA 2006 Page 9

14 Relatively few students complain about too much testing or say they get overly nervous about them The number of tests they have to take is about right Standardized test questions are fair 11% 71% 79% They get so nervous that they don t do as well as they know they could Most students support a high school exit exam Before students are awarded a high school diploma, would you want your school district to require students to: (1) pass a basic skills test in reading, writing and math, (2) pass a more challenging test showing they have learned at higher levels or (3) kids should not be required to pass a skills test? More challenging test 27% Basic test 52% No test Don't 18% know/refused 3% Parents knowledge about No Child Left Behind is still low How much, if anything, would you say you know about the No Child Left Behind Act the federal education bill that was passed by Congress in 2001 a great deal, a fair amount, very little or nothing at all? From what you have heard or read about public schools in your community, is the No Child Left Behind Act improving local public education, causing problems or don t you know enough to say? A fair amount 38% Very little 33% Causing problems 21% Don t know enough to say/refused 55% A great deal 17% Nothing at all Don t know 11% 1% Improving 24% Page 10 REALITY CHECK 2006

15 Is Support for Standards and Testing Fading? Relatively few parents and students voice serious complaints about too much homework Overall, do you feel that you/your child is getting too much homework, too little or about the right amount? About the right amount 68% 72% Too much homework 11% 21% Too little homework 7% 20% Parents Students Relatively few students say too much academic pressure is a very serious problem % who say it s a serious problem that there is too much pressure to make good grades in classes and on tests: Only half of students say they are working as hard as they could in schools When it comes to school work, would you say you are trying your very best to do well in school, or do you think you could try a little harder? Not at all serious, 31% Not too serious, 24% Very serious, 15% Somewhat serious, 29% Could try harder, 49% Trying best, 51% Education Insights at PUBLIC AGENDA 2006 Page 11

16 FINDING FOUR: STANDARDS ARE NOT THE PRIORITY When asked about a range of issues facing local schools, relatively few parents or students say low academic standards are a very serious problem in their area. Parents are twice as likely to choose lack of money (39%) and lack of respect for teachers and profanity (34%) as very serious problems over low standards (15%). Students too say that schools not getting enough money and lack of respect are the more serious issues based on what they see. Adding to the sense that low standards are not a top priority item now is the judgment of most parents that schools are better and the material studied is harder than when they themselves went to school. Parents and students see lack of money and disrespect for teachers as more serious problems than low standards % of parents and students who say it s a very serious problem that: Schools are not getting enough money to do a good job 24% 39% Too many kids lack respect for teachers and use bad language 34% 32% Academic standards are too low and kids are not expected to learn enough 15% 14% Parents Students Page 12 REALITY CHECK 2006

17 Is Support for Standards and Testing Fading? Black and Hispanic parents are especially worried about too little money for schools % of parents who say their schools don t have enough money to do a good job is a very serious problem: Large majorities of parents say social problems and misbehaving students are more pressing problems for high schools than low standards Do you think that the most pressing problems facing the high schools in your local community come from: 52% 49% Social problems and kids who misbehave 73% 33% White Hispanic Black Don t know/ Refused 12% Low academic standards and outdated curricula 15% Most parents say schools are better and harder than when they went to school Is the education your child is getting at school, better or worse than the education you got at his/her age? In general, do you think the material they are learning is harder, easier or about the same as when you were in school? Better 61% Worse 14% Harder 65% Easier 9% Don t know 2% The same 23% Don t know 2% About the same 24% Education Insights at PUBLIC AGENDA 2006 Page 13

18 FINDING FIVE: TEACHERS BELIEVE IN STANDARDS, BUT Among all the groups Public Agenda has surveyed, teachers have historically had more concerns about the standards movement than parents, students or administrators. Even so, most teachers do not question the intrinsic value of standards and testing. More than 8 in 10 teachers back a high school exit exam covering either basics (62%) or more advanced skills (24%). Few teachers (19%) say standardized tests do more harm than good, and most give their local district pretty good marks for being careful and reasonable in putting higher academic standards in place. But 7 in 10 teachers say their students have to take too many tests. Most teachers also say that No Child Left Behind is causing problems in local schools (70%), not improving them (15%). Most teachers back a high school exit exam Before students are awarded a high school diploma, would you want your school district to require students to: (1) pass a basic skills test in reading, writing and math, (2) pass a more challenging test showing they have learned at higher levels or (3) kids should not be required to pass a skills test? Relatively few teachers reject standardized testing outright Please tell me which comes closest to your view? Standardized tests: (1) are necessary and valuable they are a reliable yardstick for measuring student performance, (2) are a necessary evil ultimately, the schools need some kind of standardized assessment or (3) do much more harm than good the schools would be better off if they were completely abandoned. Basic test 62% More challenging test 24% Necessary evil 62% Don't know/refused 1% No test 13% Necessary and valuable 18% Don t know 1% Do much more harm than good 19% Page 14 REALITY CHECK 2006

19 Is Support for Standards and Testing Fading? Most teachers say district has been careful and reasonable in raising standards Overall, would you say that the schools are careful and reasonable in putting in place the higher academic standards, or are they being too careless and unreasonable? Few teachers want to return to policies of the past When it comes to this effort toward higher academic standards, do you think your school district should: Based on those whose public schools are making an effort to raise standards Careful and reasonable 77% Don t know / Refused 1% Too careless and unreasonable 22% Continue its effort, 39% Continue its effort but make some adjustments 59% Stop its effort and go back to the way things were 2% But large majorities of teachers say there is too much testing Would you say that students in your school are required to take too many standardized tests, too few, are things about right or don't you know? 71% And the majority of teachers say No Child Left Behind is causing problems in local schools From what you know about public schools in your community, is the No Child Left Behind Act improving local public education, causing problems or don t you know enough to say? Causing problems 70% 27% 1% Too many Too few About right Improving 15% Don t know / Refused 15% Education Insights at PUBLIC AGENDA 2006 Page 15

20 FINDING SIX: MORE MONEY, SMALLER CLASSES, MORE RESPECT Like parents and students, most teachers see other issues as more important than low standards in local schools. Over half of teachers (54%) say that schools not getting enough money to do a good job is a very serious problem in their community. Many also see lack of respect and crowded classrooms as very serious issues. Just 10 percent of teachers say low academic standards are a very serious problem where they teach. Only one percent of teachers would back a school board candidates running on a more standards and testing platform. Nearly 9 in 10 (88%) would back a candidate calling for more money and smaller classes as the way to improve local schools. Most teachers see lack of money and student behavior as more pressing problems than standards % of teachers who say the following are very serious problems in their schools: Schools are not getting enough money to do a good job 54% Too many kids lack respect for teachers and use bad language Classes are too crowded 33% 28% Academic standards are too low and kids are not expected to learn enough 10% Page 16 REALITY CHECK 2006

21 Is Support for Standards and Testing Fading? Nearly all teachers would back a candidate urging more money for schools and smaller classes Suppose you were voting in a local school board election. Which of the following candidates would you be most likely to support? A candidate who believes: If the public schools finally got more money and smaller classes, they could do a better job 88% That charter schools revitalize public education, and we need more of them 2% School vouchers give parents the power to choose the best school for their children 5% More testing and higher standards will ensure kids will master the skills they need 1% Teachers are more concerned than parents and administrators about the amount of testing Would you say that students are required to take too many standardized tests, too few, are things about right or don't you know? 71% Too many 17% 59% 58% 1% Too few 1% 10% 2% About right 27% 39% 38% 54% Teachers Parents Superintendents Principals Education Insights at PUBLIC AGENDA 2006 Page 17

22 Teachers are also less likely to see standardized testing as valuable Please tell me which comes closest to your view? Standardized tests: (1) are necessary and valuable they are a reliable yardstick for measuring student performance, (2) are a necessary evil ultimately, the schools need some kind of standardized assessment or (3) do much more harm than good the schools would be better off if they were completely abandoned. Necessary and valuable 18% 47% Necessary evil 37% 62% Do much more harm than good 12% 19% Parents Teachers Page 18 REALITY CHECK 2006

23 Is Support for Standards and Testing Fading? FINDING SEVEN: PRINCIPALS AND SUPERINTENDENTS EMPHASIZE FUNDING Like teachers and parents, most principals and superintendents see money, rather than low standards, as their priority. The vast majority of administrators (52% of principals and 60% of superintendents) point to lack of adequate funding as a very serious problem in their district. In contrast, a negligible number of principals (4%) and superintendents (2%) see low academic standards as a very serious problem. Like teachers, nearly all administrators would support a school board candidate focusing on funding and class size. Just a handful would back someone calling for more emphasis on standards and testing. More superintendents and principals say insufficient funding is their major challenge What is the most pressing issue facing your school district today? Insufficient funding 41% 57% A shortage of really effective teachers 11% 12% Meeting the requirements of No Child Left Behind 9% 22% Too much bureaucracy and paperwork 9% 16% Something else 10% 7% A shortage of really effective principals 11% 2% Superintendents Principals Education Insights at PUBLIC AGENDA 2006 Page 19

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